[sugar] Textbook (was Re: [OLPC-Games] Physics -- Newtonian, mechanics.. for kids!)

[Brian Jordan]

Hi Robert!

On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 8:57 PM, Robert Myers <rmyers7 at mindspring.com> wrote:
> Edward,
>
>> I would like to start a physics textbook project combining Measure,
>> Etoys, SciPy, and all of the low-cost instruments we can come up with.
>> We would have to take account of existing curricula, but not be bound
>> by them, and we would have to produce a teachers' guide as well. Who
>> would be interested in contributing? We need
>>
>> * Developers such as Yoshiki
>> * Developer/teache/visionaries, preferably Alan
>> * Engineers and physicists
>> * Teachers
>> * Students
>>
>> I want to include elementary calculus and vectors, and pitch this
>> project at ten-year-olds.
>>
>
> I'm approaching this through the back door. I've been working on a port
> of an Asteroids game to the XO. I've been trying to pull out the
> behavior to what I've been calling 'Physics game classes'. As a first
> level test of the concept I implemented a demo that models 2D collisions
> of 'cold' (slow) and 'hot' (fast) 'molecules'. The physics isn't
> perfect, but the classes could provide a basis for more physics games
> and demos.

You may be interested in the open source 2d physics engine Box2D
http://box2d.org , and the Physics activity (and the Elements/pybox2d
development being done in its branch):
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Physics_%28activity%29
http://dev.laptop.org/git?p=activities/physics

And WOOOO ILXO! You wouldn't happen to be in Boston the weekend of
August 29.. eh? I'm organizing a Physics Game jam competition for
then... let me know if you're interested or know anyone who might be.

Cheers,
Brian


>
> I'd be glad to forward what I've got so far. I'm planning on presenting
> this as part of ILXO's upcoming Game Jam.
>
> Bob
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